Article-counter.



A. BRETSCHNEIDBR. ARTICLE COUNTER. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3, 1909.

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ANDREW. a. GRAHAM cor 91mm ARTHUR BRETSCI-INEIDER, OF HALLE-ON-THE-SAALE, GERMANY.

ARTICLE-COUNTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, 1909.

Application filed. February 3, 1909. Serial No. 475,845.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR BRET- SCHNEIDER, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, and residing at Halle-on-the-Saale, Germany, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Article-Counters, of wh1ch the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in counting devices for articles, such for instance as screws or similar small sized goods, and provides for accurately counting the same and keeping a record of the count and also disclosing the counts to the operator whenever the machine. is inspected for such purpose.

The invention is adapted for use in counting small articles wherein the same are discharged singly and not in bulk.

The invention will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawing and will be more particularly pointed out and ascertained in and by the appended claims.

In the drawing :Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a counter embodying the main features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view thereof. Fig. 1 is a detached view of a counting step employed.

Like numerals of reference designate similar parts throughout the different figures of the drawing.

As shown the invention includes a casing 1 provided with an opening 2 in which is disposed a plurality, preferably two, stationary downwardly inclined guides 3 and 4 arranged in superposed relation and in a manner to deliver toward and into the easing. A supplemental stationary guide 5 is provided and is reversely disposed with respect to the guides 3 and 1 and arranged in a manner to deliver toward the guide 3. Guide 5 is also downwardly inclined. A plurality, preferably two, superposed pivotally mounted guides 6 and 7 are downwardly inclined and underlap the guides 3 and 1 by engaging their lower margin. Said guides 6 and 7 are pivotally mounted at 8 and 9. Stops 10 and 11 are arranged to arrest movement of the guides 6 and 7 downwardly beyond a predetermined point and preferably said stops are adjustable as shown.

A pivotally mounted hanger 12 supports a rod 13 and is pivotally connected therewith at 14:. Said rod is pivotally connected with guide 6 at 15 and when the guide 6 is depressed the hanger 12 permits the rod 13 to shift to the right as will be obvious by reference to Fig. 1. The rod 13 is provided with a section 16 to which it is pivotally connected at 17 and the section 16 is provided with a weight 18 arranged adjustably thereon by means of screw threads. At its outer end the section 16 is pointed as shown. It

will be obvious that the function of the weight is to return the guide 6 to the position shown in Fig. 1 after it has been depressed by passage of an article between guides 3 and 6.

Means are provided preferably in the form of an indicator tape or strip adapted to be moved abreast of the pointed ends of the section 16 so as to be perforated or marked thereby so as to indicate on the tape just how many articles have passed through the guides 3 and 6. As shown a spring controlled roller is mounted upon a stud 19 and the spring is arranged to retard unwinding of the tape on sa1d roller. The

tape is indicated at 20 and as shown is held abreast of and in alinementwith the pointed ends of the section 16 by a roller 21 over which the tape or strip passes. The roller 21 is yieldingly held in the position shown by a spring 22 which is interposed between the stem of the roller and the bracket 23 in which the roller stem is guided. The tape extends downwardly about a roller 24 about which it is wound and said roller 2% is mounted upon a shaft 25. The shaft 25 is provided with a gear 26 meshing with a gear 27 which operates an indicator 28. The function of the indicator 28 is to dis close to the operator the progress of the count so as to determine the amount of stock counted at any time during the operation whereas the tape is for the purpose of totalizing the entire count when the same is com- 'pleted;

In order to render the mechanism just described readily accessible the casing 1 is provided with an opening 29 adapted to be closed by a lid 30 which-may be hinged at 31 and provided with a suitable fastening 32. In order to render the indicator visible without opening the lid 30 the latter is pro vided with an opening in which any transparent material such as glass may be disposed, as indicated at 33, and in order to protect the glass a separate lid 3% may be hinged to the lid 30 as indicated. In order to insure alternate or sequential operation of the guides (3 and 7 and prevent simultaneous operation thereof the guide 7 is provided with a rod which is pivoted to the guide 7 at 36 and is also pivotally connected at 37 with a pivotally mounted hanger 3S whereby said rod is supported. A cam 39 is disposed on said rod at a point to the right of the hanger 38 and the weight 40 is adjustably mounted on said rod by means of a threaded connection as shown. The ends of the rod terminate in a ratchet pawl 4:1 which cooperates with a ratchet wheel 12 mounted on shaft 25. It will be seen that as the article passes between the guides at and 7 the latter will be depressed and the rod will be shifted to the right longitudinally causing the pawl to engage the ratchet wheel and rotate the shaft 25 a slight distance so as to advance the indicating tape and also the indicating apparatus 28. In order to prevent simultaneous action of rods 13 and 35 a locking member in the form of a lever or arm 13 is rigid on the rod 13 and has a forked extremity the base of which rides 011 the cam 39 and the forked portion of which laterally engages the rod so as to maintain engagement of the parts as shown.

\Vhen the guide is actuated the arm 4C3 rides upon the higher port1on of the cam 39 and 1s held 111 engagement therewith by the weight 18. This action throws the ratchet pawl a l out of engagement with the ratchet wheel L2 and prevents operation thereof. nection 1? permits the section 16 to rise The pivotal consli 'htl 1 when the forked arm lies u )on the cam 19. After the article has passed downwardly through the guides 3 and 6 and the weight 18 has returned the guide (3 to the position shown in Fig. 1 the forked arm 4:3

will return to the position shown and will permit depression of the guide 7 to let the article pass into the casing 1 and such de-;

pression will actuate the member 35 and likewise the tape and indicating device.

It will be obvious that my invention is not limited to the use of both a tape and an indicating device as either one may be used alone or both may be used as shown in accordance with the service desired.

I clann:-

1. An article counter comprising in com guides for recording and indicating the count.

2. An article counter comprising in combination, a plurality of stationary guides,

a plurality of movable guides arranged in underlapping relation with respect to said stationary guides and adapted to be successively actuated by the articles to be counted, and means actuated by the movable guides for recording the count.

3. An article counter comprising in combination, a plurality of downwardly inclined .stationary guides, a plurality of downwardly inclined movable guides arranged in underlapping relation with respect to said stationary guides and adapted to be successively actuated by the articles to be counted, and means actuated by the movable guides for indicating the count.

4. An article counter comprising in com bination, a plurality of stationary guides downwardly inclined, a receptacle to which said guides deliver, a plurality of downwardly inclined movable guides arranged in underlapping relation with respect to said stationary guides and adapted to be actuated by the articles to be counted, and means actuated by the movable guides for indicating and recording the count.

An article counter comprising in combination, a casing provided with an opening downwardly inclined superposed stationary guides arranged in said opening to deliver into the casing, a stationary guide reversely arranged with respect to said superposed guides and delivering thereto, movable downwardly inclined guides arranged in said opening in under-lapping relation with respect to said stationary guides and adapted to be actuated by the articles to be counted, and means actuated by said movable guides for recording and indicating the count.

(3. An article counter comprising in combination, a plurality of stationary guides, a plurality of movable guides cooperating with said stationary guides and adapted to be actuated by the articles to be counted, means actuated by the movable guides for recordiug and indicating the count, and devices included in said means for preventing simultaneous operation of said movable guide.

7. An article counter comprising in combination, a plurality of movable guides actuated by the articles to be counted, means for moving a recording tape step by step, an element associated with one of said guides for making an impression on said tape, and means associated with another of said guides for advancing said tape.

8. An article counter comprising in combination, a plurality of movable guides actuated by the articles to be counted, an indicating device, means for supporting a recording tape, an element associated with one of said guides for recording the count upon said tape, and means associated with another of said guides for advancing said tape step by step and actuating said indicating device.

9. An article counter comprising in combination, a plurality of movable guides acdevice and element for insuring alternate tuated by the articles to be counted, means operation thereof. 10 for lnovably supporting a tape an element In testimony whereof I afiix my signature associated with one of said guides for recordin presence of two Witnesses.

.5 ing the count upon said tape, an indicating de- ARTHUR BRETSCHNEIDER.

vice, a device associated With one of said Vitnesses: guides for operating said tape and indicat- RUDOLPH FRIOKE,

ing device, and means associated With said ERNST SCHMIDT. 

